6 Tips to Pace your Next Half Marathon

The ability to properly pace a half marathon can sometimes feel elusive. We all know that the smart thing to do is start slower and finish faster, but actually executing that plan is a totally different thing.

With a full training cycle complete and your adrenaline pumping it is easy to go hard in the first few miles, feeling ready to take down your goal time in record fashion. Fast forward a few miles and that initial burst of energy has worn off, not only are you no longer on pace you’re starting to slow down and you can feel that goal slipping. You get discouraged and the negative mental talk starts to sink in. A few miles of this and by the time you hit the ten mile mark, you’ve all but given up. You’ll finish, but you won’t be anywhere near where you wanted to be.

Sound familiar?

If it does then it’s time to take a look at your half marathon training, race day prep and pace plan. Here are a few tips to get you rocking your next 13.1

Incorporate Race Pace Runs into your Training

Running at your goal race pace (the pace at which you need to run to reach your goal) is important to learning proper pacing. If you’re looking to run a 1:45 half marathon then your “goal race pace” would be 8:00 min/mile. You can incorporate race pace miles into your weekly long runs. For example if you training plan calls for a 10 mile run. Warm up with three miles at your easy run pace, then run four miles at goal race pace and finish off your run with three more easy miles. You can also “tune up” on race week with 3 miles at race pace (one mile warm up and cool down) four to five days before your race.

Start Slow

Unless you have done extensive training at your goal race pace, then you really need to start conservatively in the first few miles. It can be hard to start slow, especially when you’re coming off your taper and have all the adrenaline and excitement of race day tempting you to let your legs go. But going a little slower at the start can make a huge difference with how you feel in the final miles of your race.

Run the first two to three miles 15-30 seconds slower than your goal race pace.

Break it Down

With long distance races, like half marathon it’s best to break down the race into manageable chunks. Often you can do this by studying the race course. The terrain can often dictate how you run the race. Here are few suggestions as to how to break down your half marathon (but don’t forget to do a little course recon).

Miles 1-3 go easy;

Miles 3-7 focus on steady effort

Miles 8&9 check in and gauge whether or not you’ll be able to pick up the pace for the last three miles.

Miles 10 begin to pick up the pace

Mile 11-13.1 focus on slowly increasing your effort. Ask yourself, Can I give a little more? With a half mile remaining give everything you have for a hard run into the finish.

Don’t be a Slave to Your Watch

Sometimes when you’re shooting for a PR you have a specific pace in mind and your eyes are glued to your watch trying to stick to that pace. Most courses feature varied terrain, you’ll run up some hills and you’ll run down some hills. When faced with varied terrain it’s best to go by perceived effort for your middle miles. Yes, you want stay close to your goal pace, but if you’re struggling to keep that pace up a hill you’ll be hurting in the end. Remember that if you’re using the downhill to your advantage the slower uphills will all average out in the end.

Finish Strong

The ultimately goal is to feel strong as you approach the finish, instead of slowing down. If you’ve started slow, paced evenly through the middle of the race then you should still have something left to give in the final miles of your race. I’m not saying those final miles will be easy, you’ll probably have to fight and dig deep. But smart pacing for the first part of the race should allow you give more at the finish.

As you begin picking up the pace at mile 10 choose a runner ahead of you and “reel them in” one step at a time or choose landmarks along the course and push towards those marks.

Mental Toughness

If you feel like you’re doing all the right things when it comes to your training and pacing, but you’re still coming up short, you may need to take a look at your mental game. If you’re digging deep and giving everything you have, racing is difficult no matter how fast you are. Your body will do whatever it can to try to keep you comfortable, starting with your thoughts. To push through the discomfort of racing you’ll need positive thoughts and mantras to keep you going when doubt creeps in.

For more tips on upping your mental game, check out these mental workouts for runners HERE.

It’s important to remember that even the best pacing strategy cannot make up for a lack of training. If you’re shooting for a specific goal it’s critical that your training adequately prepare you, otherwise you’ll end up disappointed race after race. Your training should include the weekly mileage and pace-specific workouts to support your goal.

But if you’ve done the work and incorporate these tips into your next race, you’ll be poised for a PR.

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Sarah, this post came at the perfect time! I am running my third half marathon this weekend. Of the two I’ve completed before, this is the first one where I incorporated race pace training throughout. I love the idea of breaking it down into smaller mileage chunks. The one this weekend has a steep hill at mile seven, so I know I’ll have to have some reserved energy for it!

It is SO elusive! I thought I was ready for a steady pace and even started a bit below pace for my marathon, but injury and just overall fatigue got the best of me. I have yet to run negative splits or even consist pacing for 26.2. Let’s hope I can learn this lesson before I run NYC in Nov!!

Great read! I ran my last half with a similar strategy to try to break 1:40. Miles 1-3 = start slow and don’t get caught up in the frenzy of the start. Miles 4-7 = find my groove and settle in. Miles 8-11 = maintain through a mentally tough spot on the course (typically windy and no crowd support). Miles 12 & 13 = give it all you got. Despite finishing in 1:40:04 (seriously?!?!?!), I think this strategy worked really well for me. Kept me mentally focused throughout the entire race, and breaking it down into smaller chunks made the distance seem less overwhelming.

Spot on! I was just telling a girl yesterday while pacing that you can’t bank miles even though she wanted to try that approach. Negative splitting always works best for me as does ditching the Garmin and letting my body take the lead.

Definitely agree that being conservative in the beginning pays off. You always bonk harder than the amount of time you bank if you start too fast. Something I always try and remember. Pacing takes time and practice and you are so right that race pacing can’t make up for the training- but if you are training that way (start conservative) it becomes much more natural on race day. I know that I have become faster and stronger since really fine tuning my pacing strategies.

Desi’s consistency is ah-mazing. I have a terrible time with pacing and running consistent splits! I’m all over the place. Although I have gotten better in the last year and having a pacing plan, similar to how you break it down in your post, really really helped me to run confidently.

Great post. I saw Desi’s splits and was in awe. I definitely have a hard times staying consistent. I tend to run really big races and the crowds are unpredictable and have made pacing difficult sometimes. I may need to find some smaller ones to do!

Great article! I still have trouble with this. Even though I tell myself to go out slow at the beginning, it is so easy to get caught up in the excitement and go out too fast! The one race where I began walking because of a previous injury, I ended up running the final 6 miles and got a 15 min PR because I had the energy left at the end to go all out.

100% yes to all of this!!! Thanks for the great reminders as I stare down 13.1 in a few weeks. I love looking forward to those final 3 miles to see what you can give at that point. Either you feel the surge or it’s a death march to the finish. Let’s hope I’m feeling the former 🙂

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[…] How to Pace your next Marathon or Half Marathon: 5 foolproof tips by runfargirl I will be pacing several races next year and I can use all the tips and tricks! Granted, I am going to be working with a Smart Pacing team – they pace based on the elevation changes and not a steady pace throughout. […]